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Bible reading stats show Christian neglect God’s word… here’s some keen readers to encourage you

10:44pm Friday, 7th October 2011

THE STATS

• Less than 2 of every 10 Christians are engaging with the Word of God on a daily basis.
• 4% of 13-24 year olds read the Bible very frequently, 15-20% occasionally, and 70% never.
• Of those young people who attend church, more than half read the Bible only occasionally or never. 29% of those who see religious faith as important in daily life never read the Bible.
• It is very likely that young people who read the Bible have friends or parents who also read the Bible.
Sources: Hughes, P. & Pickering, C. (2010). Bible Engagement among Young Australians: Patterns and Social Drivers. Unpublished research report initiated by Bible Society and other partners; GSI Report February 2011, NCLS 2006; and the Milk to Meat Bible Engagement Report

THE READERS

• Jared Mullett and his family live in Barunga (NT), a small indigenous community about 80 km from Katherine.
Jared works with the Australian Society for Indigenous Languages, and he and his family are currently learning Kriol, building relationships and helping to run Scripture workshops.
He says, “I usually read my Bible in the evenings before bed. Something that really helps me to meditate on God’s Word is to put it into song.
“I enjoy teaching the songs to my kids, and my oldest daughter now has Psalm 1 memorised, as well as other verses. Helping my children to memorise Scripture is a huge blessing to me—and I can’t help but memorise it too!” When asked why he enjoys reading the Bible, Jared says, “Because God uses His Word to teach me and draw me closer”.

• Retired missionary Athol MacNaughtan enjoys a good walk in order to keep healthy. Of late, he gets even more out of his walk by listening to the Bible on his mp3 player.
He had been downloading John Piper sermons, so getting the audio Bible was a natural progression. He’s nonchalant about concentrating while walking, as “just one click will take you back to the start of the chapter. That’s especially handy as people keep stopping me to say hello!”
Athol chose the narrated audio Bible over the fully-dramatised versions. “There is a change of voice when the characters change, and I don’t really appreciate the tone of the dramatisation, but you just have to accept that.” It’s clear Athol gets a lot out of listening to the audio Bible. “Things show up that I just don’t pick up when reading.”

• When Bible College graduate Thora Marsh became a mother, her Bible reading practices changed dramatically. Thora characterises her personal Bible reading (and her life in general!) as “a little bit of digging, a little bit of running, a little bit of munching, a little bit of this and that.”
Running around after a 16 month old means her time is segmented into approximately ten minute slots, and involves a lot of mess and excitement over the small things, while at the same time finding great joy in watching the world through her son’s eyes.
“Funnily enough,” she says, “this includes thinking anew about the Bible.
“Although I sometimes manage to read the Bible while he is napping, my most regular input has been reading the toddlers’ Bible each night.
“I have two options in this – I could take it as a lesson in patient endurance (lot’s of page flicking, not much else) or I could stop and think about the little snippets of wisdom that are imparted each time we read from Scripture.
“And by God’s grace, it’s been wonderful to see how much I can learn and be refreshed by distilling something small for my little boy, and for me, from his bedtime Bible time.”

• Jon Owen from Urban Neighbours of Hope says: “Every year we read one gospel and one epistle. We read the same scriptures individually and once a week together.
We use Lectio Divina style. The first two times you read in a row and say what words struck out at you. Then you read it a third time say what you see, what you hear, what you feel. The fourth time it’s basically saying: now what?
Our reading is in the context of a marginalised community. When you read the Word from the comfort of a nice loungeroom in a middle-class suburb, you approach the text with ‘leisure class questions’. People who live in a poor neighbourhood approach the text with a different set of questions.
The first set of questions is: how can I get more of what I already want? The questions from the other side are: I need you God. I can’t get on without you. I don’t want to die. I owe my life to you.”

• Next year Bible Society Australia is responding to statistics showing a lack of Bible reading with a major campaign.